Wheel hub and method of forming the same



" v Feb; 26, 1929.

W. N. BOOTH WHEEL HUB AND METHOD OF FORHING THE SAME Filed April. 10. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l w\ \\\\L Z W. N. BOOTH WHEEL HUB ANDNBTHOD OF FORMING THE SAME" Feb, 26, 1929- 4 SheetS-Sheet Filed April 10. 1922 M 3 w a z 7 f m Z m I v k p /A/ y fl a Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,714

w. u. BOOTH WHEEL HUB AND METHOD OF FORIIING THE SAME Filed April 10. 1922 Sheets-Sheet 4 awe/Mom 2%"22 z'am 4 723 Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM N. BOOTH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KELSEY-HAYES WHEEL CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WHEEL HUB AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME.

Application filed April 10, 1922. Serial No. 551,032.

The invention relates to wheel hubs and has for its object the forming of a wheel hub in which the barrel and the fixed flange are separately pressed and rigidly secured to each other in pre-determined relation. Other objects are to form an annular shoulder upon the outer periphery of the barrel near its inner end for preventing long1tud1- nal inward movement of the fixed flange relative to the barrel after the hub has been built and placed in use; to form cooperating projections and indentations upon the barrel and fixed flange for securing the same to each other; and to braze the fixed flange to the barrel. Further objects are the formmg of a shoulder intermediate the ends of the barrel for engagement with an antl-frlctlon bearing race, and the positionmg of the fixed flange upon the barrel using this shoulder as a guide; the forming of a longitudinal groove in this shoulder adapted for engagement in by a tool to remove the anti-frlctlon bearing race engaging the shoulder; and the machining of the outer end of the barrel and of the outer face of the fixed flange, using this shoulder as a guide, and subsequentlythe machining of the inner end of the barrel using the machined outer face of the fixed flange as a guide.

With these and other ObJGCtS 1n vlew, the invention resides in the novel features as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a plan view and a central sectionv through a blank used in forming the fixed flange of the wheel hub' Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a plan view and a central section of the fixed flange after the drawing operations have been completed;

Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a plan view and a central section through a blank used in forming the barrel of the wheel hub;

Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a plan view and a central section of the barrel after the drawing operations have been .completed;

Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are central sections through the assembled barrel and fixediflange, in the operation;

Figure 17 is an end view of Figure 10;

Flgure 18 is an end view of Figure 16.

In general, the wheel hub has the pressed steel barrel 1 and the pressed steel fixed flange 2 rigidly secured to the barrel in predetermined position. The barrel has end portions of different diameters in which are seated the outer races 3 and 4 of anti-friction bearin s.

The fixe flange 2 is formed from a flat metal blank 5 shown in Figures 1 and 2 byv a series of drawing operations, at the completion of which it has, as shown in Flgures 3 and 4, the cylindrical flange 6 and the annular flange 7. This annular flange is punched to form the annular series of holes 8.

The barrel 1 is formed from a flat metal blank 9 shown in Figures 5 and 6 by a series of drawing operations, at the completion of which it has, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the inner and outer cylindrical end portions 10 and 11, the inner end portion being of greater diameter than the outer end portion, these end portions being connected by an intermediate-conical portion 12. The inner end ortion 10 has an inner zone 13 which is of s ightly greater diameter than the outer zone 14 formmg an annular shoulder 15 on the outer periphery of the inner end portion. The intermediate conical portion 12 has formed therein, the diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves 16 adapted for engagement in by suitable tools for removing the outer race of the inner anti-friction bearing.

The fixed flange is then assembled upon the barrel as shown in Figure 9, and its cylindrical flange 6 has a press fit with the outer zone 14 of the cylindrical inner end portion 10 of the barrel. The fixed flange is pressed longitudinally inwardly upon the barrel and is positioned with the outer face of its annular flange 7 in pre-determined relation to the barrel using the inner face of the intermediate conical portion 12 of the barrel as a guide. The fixed flange is then secured to the barrel as shown in Figures 10 showing successive steps and 17, by punching outwardly the projecting portions 17 in the enlarged end 10 of the barrel which engage in correspondingly shaped indentations 18 formed in the cylindrical flange 6 of the fixed flange, the indentations being formed by the projections. The following step in the operation as shown in Figure 11, comprises the heating of the barrel and fixed flange, and the brazing of the fixed flange to the barrel by means of the brazing material 19 which completely fills the joint between the fixed flange and the barrel.

After the brazing operation, the inner and outer ends of the barrel 1 are cut at predetermined points using the inner face of the conical portion 12 of the barrel as a guide, the article after this operation appearing as shown in Figure 12. Then sections in the wall of the outer end portion 11 of the barrel are pressed inwardly by the operation of dies to produce an annular series of lugs 20, this ste being shown in Figure 13. The inward reflection of the sheared metal is'restricted to less than the thickness of the wall, so that there is no break in the outer end portion. The positions of these lugs are determined from the inner face of the intermediate conical portion 12 of the barrel. The following operation comprises the machining of the outer end 11 of the barrel and of the outer face of the annular flange 7 of the fixed flange 2, using the inner face of the intermediate conical portion 12 of the barrel as a guide. As shown in Figure 14, the machining of the outer end of the barrel comprises the forming of the square shoulders 21 upon the annular series of lugs 20, the formingof the annular walls 22 and 23 within the outer end of the barrel and outwardly beyond the square shoulders 21, and the forming of the exteriorly threaded end 24 and of the cylindrical walls 25 and 26. i

The inner enlarged cylindrical end 10 of the barrel is next machined as shown in Figure 15 to true up the inner face of the intermediate conical portion 12, and also to form the annular wall 27 as well as to form the chamfer 28, the outer machined face of annular flange of the fixed fiange being used as a guide.

As shown in Figures 16 and 18, the next step is to press the outer races 3 and 4 of anti-friction bearings respectively into the inner and outer ends of the barrel; The race 3 has a press fit with the annular wall 27 and abuts the inner race of the interme di'ate conical portion 12 of the barrel, while the. outer race 4 has a press'fit with the annular wall 23 in the outer end of the barrel and abuts a washer 29 having a press fit with the annular wall 22 and abutting the square shoulders .21 upon the annular series of lugs 20. The function of the washer is simply to retain the wheel hub, and consequently the wheel on the spindle extending through the wheel hub in'the event that the outer bearing should break.

The wheel hub formed by this method, has exact dimensions within the limits allowed in commercial manufacture and also has great strength. Furthermore, any tend ency of the fixed flange to move longitudinally inward over the barrel when the wheel hub is in use is resisted by the annular shoulder upon the outer periphery of the enlarged inner end ofth barrel.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A wheel hub comprising a drawn barrel having a cylindrical portion at one end, an enlarged cylindrical portion at the opposite end and an intermediate'conical portion forming an abutment for an anti-friction bearing, said conical portion having a recess pressed therein and extending beyond the bearing when in place to facilitate removal of the bearing and a fixed flange fixedly secured to said enlarged cylindrical portion. 1

2. The method of forming a wheel hub comprising the pressing of a blank into a barrel having intermediate its outer and inner ends a shoulder on its inner periphery for en aging with an anti-friction bearing race, the pressing of another blank into a fixed flange, the positioning of the fixed flange upon the inner end of the barrel in predetermined relation to the shoulder upon the barrel, the securing of the fixed flange to the barrel while thus positioned, the machining of the outer end of the barrel and of the outer face of the fixed flange using the shoulder of the barrel as a guide, and the machinin of the inner end of the barrel and the s oulder' using the outer face of the fixed flange as a guide.

3. A wheel hub comprising a barrel havmga portion with a conical inner surface forming an abutment for an anti-friction bearing and provided with a groove to facilitate removal of the anti-friction bearing,

and a fixed flange upon said barrel.

4. A wheel hub comprising a barrel havmg ad acent cylindrical. portions and a connecting conical portion forming an abutment or an anti-friction bearing, said conical ortion having a transverse groove therein for engagement in by a tool to facilitate removal of the anti-friction bearing, and a fixed flange upon one of said cylindrical portions.

5. The method of forming a wheel hub comprising the pressing of a blank into a barrel having adjacent portions of different diameters connected by atapered portion forming a shoulderon the inner periphery of the barrel for engagement with an antifriction bearing race, the pressing of another blank into a fixed fiange, the positioning of the fixed flange upon the portion of the barrel of larger diameter in predetermined relation to the shoulder upon the barrel, the brazing of the fixed flange to the barrel While thus positioned, the pressing inwardly of sections of the portion of the barrel of smaller diameter in predetermined relation to the shoulder upon the barrel, the machining ofthe outer end of the barrel and of the outer face of the fixed flange using the 10 shoulder of the barrel as a ide, and the machining of the inner end of t he barrel and the shoulder using the outer face of the fixed flange as a guide.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM N. BOOTH. 

